The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1887-07-30
A COSTA RlcAN COUP D'ETAr.
How Political Difficulty Was Solved.
An Easily Effected Change


DIR. Jesus Jimenez may have been a learned
| man: lie was not wise one. He had been
mad" president of Costa Rica by the army,
and as soon as he got supreme power in the
rrimllic, lie gave that important body the
co.l shoulder. 1t was mistake He should
have horne it to the front, giving it prom
incnce; wearing it, so to speak, like rose
i'll his top buttonhole on dress occasions On
the contrary he treated it contemptuously;
sncered at its pcttiness and flummery, and
degraded its officers. What can q single
doctor of medicine do against ono entire
regiment of infantry and u two gun battery
of flying artillery' Nothing, absolutely
nothing. His brass mortar and pellets ore
but trifles against howitzer and bullets.
But the army was also in an awkward fix.
For the army, rs said, had made DIR. Jine-
ncz president by coup detat. A second
coup following SO soon OH tho steps of tho
former would never answer. The army
would lose its prestige. Still, something must
be done, for the most popular officers and
their friends in civil life were being banished
in crowds from the republic.
The difficulty was solved by Col. Thomas
Guarda. His brother was in command of
the ono regiment Of infantry. 1t was only
necessary, therefore, to get possession of the
artillery So one morning the great gates Of
tho barracks were opened, and two wagon
loads Of freshly cut grass passed in as usual,
and the gates We're closed. Whereupon, there
suddenly upruse the two loads of grass; and
fourteen men, led by Don Thomas Guardia,
pointed fourteen revolvers ut the few half
awake soldiers i'll the patio, and the job was
done, killing only one foolish officer, who at
tempted resistance to "thc revolution of the
A e.
on DIR. Jimrncz and told him that he could re.
| sumo the practice of mcdirino, as tho public
wound npl require his services any lnore at the
"pnlacc'
Nothing could have been more satisfactory
to DR.. Jiusnez. lie really didn't want power,
and only accepted it because he couldn't see
his way out of it. AT 9 o'clock he mounted
his saddle mule with his nlfarjas, and went
around among his patients; quietly said to his
friends that llo was informed that Thomas
Guhr'lia was in possession of the supreme
governments and that ho would be able to
give his business better attention than he had
during the past few months. Before lie re-
turned to his house for breakfast he called ut
the palace, smiled and nodded toward the
guard and sent his card up to tho new presi-
dent.
You will naturally suppose that Don
Thomas on hearing of this sudden appearance
of the dethroned ruler i'll the place where ho
had rcisncd hut yesterday, summoned his
guard, bucilcd on his sword, capped several
revolvcrs, ordered II squad of detectives to
usher him in and watch his every motion. He
did nothing of the kind for two reasons;
There never lived one man of whom Thomas
Guarlia was afrnid, and of all men in the
world Dir. Jesus Jmencz was the last mal
| for anybody to be afraid of. Therefore, VIII.
they met, the inquiring, somewhat serie
| look of Don Thomas disappeared before the
| cordial, pleased smile Of DR.. Jimenez; they
embraced with the fervor of old friends
| Alfred Il. Sears in Overland Monthly.